The 2020 Civic and Insight: 2 Best Compact Cars for Commuting

Looking for the best small automatic car? Look no further than Ralph Honda, your local Certified Pre-Owned Honda dealer. There are several small cars on the market, but when it comes to finding a great overall deal, two of Honda’s smallest models offer good price points. In our opinion, the two that deserve your attention (with automatic transmissions) are the Honda Insight and the Honda Civic Sedan. Both models come with automatic CVT transmissions. They’re also both tech-savvy and fuel-efficient models, making them great for daily commuting.

Honda’s ability to make standard tech and safety features affordable is why we believe it’s an ideal brand for commuters. Between the Civic and the Insight, there’s no clear winner: it simply depends on your own lifestyle and personal preferences. Let’s take a closer look at each model’s offerings to see which one’s the best fit for you, but first, let’s make sure that being the owner of a compact car is exactly what you’re expecting.

The main reason people want a compact car with an automatic transmission is to save money. These are drivers that can’t be bothered with expensive loan payments and unnecessary towing power or cargo space. Off-roaders, large families, and laborers have little use for a small car like the Honda Civic Sedan or the Honda Insight, but college students and 9 to 5 office workers can greatly benefit from the compact car’s body style.

These models are cheap to maintain, they’re easy on your fuel tank, and their costs are relatively low compared to other popular vehicle body styles. Cars like the Honda Civic are also among the cheapest models to insure, meaning lower car insurance premiums. Whether you are your own chauffeur or looking to make it big as an Uber driver, these models will save you tons of money, both short-term and in the long run. Sound like you? Then let’s figure out whether you need the Civic Sedan or the Insight!

The Civic Sedan has been around since 1972, so it’s safe to say that there are many used Civic models floating around on the market. If you’re looking for a Certified Pre-Owned Honda, we recommend sticking with the 2020 model as it has the best updates for that generation while still offering a reasonable used price tag. The 2020 Honda Civic can get a combined average of 36 MPG (miles per gallon) and has seating for up to 5 passengers (including the driver). That’s in addition to its impressive safety and technology features. Unlike the 11th-generation Civic Sedan, this model does come with an optional manual transmission, so be sure to ask the

Part of what makes Honda a great small car brand is its standard safety features across all trims. After all, when you’re in a relatively small vehicle, it’s important to have great safety monitoring systems that help you navigate traffic and better monitor your surroundings. The 2020 Honda Civic Sedan includes standard safety features, even on the lowest LX trim. For example, you’ll get Lane Keeping Assist and Lane Departure Warning, Collision Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and rear child safety locks, all on the base LX model. These features will help you stay in the appropriate lane, avoid collisions, and keep your kids safer on the road.

As you level up your trim level, you’ll gain access to even more safety features, such as Honda LaneWatch, a camera-based version of Blind Spot Monitoring. When you activate your turn signal, a rear-facing camera will pop up so you can clearly see whether it’s safe to switch lanes. This technology is no longer available on the 11th-generation Honda Civic Sedan. The 2020 model scores a 5/5 crash-test safety rating with the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

Tech features determine the largest differences between the Honda Civic’s trim levels. While safety features are standard across the board and performance ratings stay the same, tech features differ according to trim. Of course, all 2020 Honda Accord models include standard touchscreen infotainment centers. Otherwise, the base-level LX trim will save you money by only including standard Bluetooth connectivity, steering-wheel-mounted radio controls, and a USB connectivity port.

Moving up to the Sport, EX, or EX-L trim will get you Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and HondaLink access. The Touring trim offers built-in navigation by Honda, which features HD digital traffic monitoring voice activation technology.

The Honda Insight is an overall newer Honda model that debuted in 1999. The 4th-generation Insight has lasted from 2018 to the present day. This hybrid model is incredibly fuel-efficient, and it also carries up to 5 passengers with roughly the same passenger space ratings as the Civic Sedan. Like the Civic Sedan, we recommend the 2020 Honda Insight model to interested Certified Pre-Owned model buyers.

The 2020 model comes in three different trim options, the LX, the EX, and the Touring. There are no manual transmission options for this hybrid model, so you can rest assured that you’re getting a small automatic car, regardless of trim or package. The Insight’s safety and technology features are very similar to the Honda Civic’s features. You’ll get standard safety technologies on the LX trim, with better entertainment features as you upgrade your trim level. Like the Civic Sedan, the Touring trim even offers Honda LaneWatch.

When it comes to tech and safety features, there’s no competition between the Civic Sedan and the Insight—at least not for the 2020 models. That said, no matter which trim you choose, the Insight will get you a combined estimated 52 MPG (this falls to 48 MPG combined on the Touring trim, which is likely due to the Touring’s larger wheel size). Thanks to its hybrid engine, the Insight comes out ahead on fuel efficiency.

These vehicles are almost identical when it comes to specs. They both even offer the same 15.1 cubic-feet cargo space rating. Considering that these two models belong to the same brand, it makes sense that their interior specs are quite similar. The main difference between these two models lies in the engines.

The Honda Civic offers a 1.5L Turbo I-4 engine, which is a gasoline-only engine; conversely, the Honda Insight has a 1.5L 4-cylinder hybrid engine, which helps it get that higher fuel-economy rating. The 2020 Civic does offer a higher horsepower and torque rating than the 2020 Insight does, though. When it comes to performance, it’s about what’s most important to you: fuel efficiency or power. Keep in mind that the Insight is also a bit pricier than the Honda Civic Sedan is, but not by much.

Exterior features don’t make much of a difference here, either. These cars even look similar from the outside. It comes down to the two aforementioned things: fuel efficiency and power. If you want more pep in your step and you’re okay with getting 36 MPG, the 2020 Civic Sedan is your best bet. Choose the 2020 Honda Insight if you’re not interested in revving your engine and more about that 52 MPG combined fuel-economy rating. When you’re looking for the cheapest compact car, in the long run, the Insight takes the lead.

When it comes down to the Civic and the Insight, both cars are ideal for those interested in something more practical in their transportation. Both models offer fuel efficiency, safety, and tech that’s perfect for a commuter or those looking for a reasonably priced compact car but don’t want to sacrifice safety and comfort for a cheap price tag. We welcome you to visit us at Ralph Honda and allow us to show you everything these models have to offer. The Civic and Insight demonstrate that a small car can pack just as many features as its larger peers.